What is, in your opinions, the better, and which would you rather be?
Fear…Fear attracts the fearful…The strong…the weak…the innocent…
Fear is my ally
Funny that you have this on a CMA board…but, I’ll answer. I’ve always been fascinated with the samurai. Their code, their training, their lives. A fellow named (I believe) Turnbull has some fantastic books about samurai history, with some beautiful illustrations. In my opinion, a samurai would be most fearsome on the battlefield…but the ninja would be trained not to be there. 
-Radhnoti
Ninja
Stephen K Hayes mentioned in The Ninja and their Secret Fighting Art that: “The ninja were commoners…and thereby free of the samurai’s rigid code of honor and prescribed way of handling situations.”
I would rather be a ninja rather than samurai because being a samurai only limits you to a few actions because of their need to maintain their family’s honor.
I was under the impression that a large number, perhaps even a majority, of ninja were samurai in disguise? The mask sort of freed them from their honorable inhibitions? Oh well…maybe not.
-Radhnoti
Nobody really has any definite info on what ninja were/weren’t because no records describing their life in detail survive from that time. A lot of what we think we “know”, like wearing the traditional black costume and carrying the sword on the back–have no basis and cannot be verified. In fact, much of what we think about them come from No plays which have a reputation of stretching the truth for dramatic effect.
Having said that, I’d still rather be a samurai–but then I’m something of a Japanophile anyway.
K. Mark Hoover
No
Um…no offense but your wrounge, heh. There are plenty of documents handed down to Hatsumi Sensei from his sensei and so on so forth down the lign. Ninjas are VERY confusing, i sugest you get the book by Dr. Hatsumi, The Essence of Ninjutsu, its VERY VERY Good/informative.
- Psirus
Ride the winds of Shinobi.
No, I’m right. There are no surviving records from the period of feudalism that can be trusted for historical accuracy re: ninjas. Most of what we think we know about ninjas today is a total modern construct that stems from early Victorian interest in Japan. It’s also misinformed and exagerrated for dramatic effect–and for marketing purposes.
Supposedly vaunted records “handed down” between ninja-wannabes–and embellished over time to enhance a clans reputation and a master’s “lineage”–are not proof and can not
be accepted as such for historical and archeological purposes.
K. Mark Hoover
You must really not like Ninjutsu…
I can say that i believe Hatsumi BECAUSE he is AGAINST teh comercailization of ninjutsu, as i said, read The Essence of Ninjutsu, than talk to me, adios (im not trying to be rude)
- Psirus
Ride the winds of Shinobi…
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This had to be posted on the forum somewhere…
HEALTH
09 September 2025
By DAVID NIELD
[IMG2=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“full”,“src”:“https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/09/samurai_armor_header-642x260.jpg”}[/IMG2](Yuji Ozeki/Getty Images Plus)
Ancient Japanese samurai were warriors of distinction, with a reputation for discipline and mastery of precision. Their deliberate and composed approach to movement could be an effective strength training method for elderly individuals.
A randomized controlled trial by researchers from Tohoku University in Japan shows the daily practice of Rei-ho – a mindful practice of physical etiquette involving slow and careful sitting, standing, and walking movements – can boost strength in the knees, potentially protecting seniors against falls and injuries.
It’s easy to do, requires no equipment, and takes just five minutes a day to see the effects.
“Knee extension strength – the force used to straighten knees – is a key measure of mobility and daily functioning,” says exercise physiologist Ayaka Ogasawara. “These exciting results suggest that Rei-ho may help seniors maintain their independence.”
The researchers recruited 34 healthy adults aged over 20 with no experience in Rei-ho, and split them into two groups. One group was instructed to continue their daily activities, while the other was asked to spend five minutes following between 20 and 22 Rei-ho squats and sit-to-stand exercises once a day, four days a week. [IMG2=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“full”,“src”:“https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2025/09/StudyExercises.jpg”}[/IMG2] Typical sitting and standing motions (b and d), compared with body positions in Rei-ho (a and c). (Ogasawara et al., Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2025)
After three months of Rei-ho, the group using the exercises showed an average 25.9 percent increase in knee extension strength, compared to an increase of just 2.5 percent in the control group – a significant difference in a short space of time.
While the volunteers involved in the study weren’t seniors, the researchers speculate that older individuals may benefit most from the findings.
“In recent years, the decline in muscle strength and physical fitness has become a significant public health concern,” write the researchers in their published paper.
“Muscle strength naturally diminishes with age, often leading to conditions such as sarcopenia and frailty.”
“This decline is further aggravated by the widespread prevalence of sedentary lifestyles. Importantly, the reduction in strength tends to be more pronounced in the lower limbs than in the upper limbs.”
Importantly, the exercise routine used in the research relies solely on the body’s own weight, and is slow and deliberate, reducing the risk of injury and common consequences of other exercises, such as increased blood pressure.
Though the number of people involved in the study was relatively small, and participants were trusted to perform the tasks without supervision, other studies have reached similar conclusions, and in older people.
This is far from the first time that traditional approaches to health have been shown to be beneficial – perhaps something to bear in mind in the fast-changing modern world, where much of our focus is on the future.
“We think it’s also valuable that those outside of Japan who want to try Rei-ho would also be able to experience a unique aspect of ancient Japanese tradition in addition to the health benefits,” says exercise physiologist Akira Sato.
The research has been published in the Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Oh don’t get me started on the ‘Asian squat’…